Sometimes a problem can appear so big, so overwhelming that we wonder if a solution is possible. This video is a great example of how the ‘impossible’ is ‘possible’.
Ever Wondered What Resilience Looks Like?
We talk about “resilience” and we’ve all heard stories about the power of resilience in overcoming adversity. Have you ever seen still shot images of resilience? Click the link below to read Mary Annette Pember’s article titled “10 Photos: I Saw What Resilience Looks Like”.
http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/10-photos-that-show-what-resilience-looks-like-20171228
The Number of Newborns Who Experience Withdrawal from Opioids is Rising in Montana
It is perfectly normal and expected that newborn babies will cry. What is unexpected is when newborns sweat, experience tremors and have shrill and high-pitched shrieks because they are going through withdraw. Even though many of these children will leave the hospital healthy, it’s unclear if there will be long-term psychological, social and physical impacts.
Click the link below to read the full article from the Montana Standard:
http://mtstandard.com/news/state-and-regional/children-bear-consequences-of-montana-s-failure-to-treat-mothers/article_a77e6213-03f8-5079-b741-4c5cc5c06167.html
Say NO to Distraction, Discouragement, and Devaluation!
To 
our collaborators, partners and cheerleaders —
It has been an incredible year! I truly believe with people like you and your teams, the future for our nation’s children and families looks brighter than ever! Yes, it’s a very long road, and hard, hard work. But we cannot allow the enormity of what needs to be done to distract us from doing it. We cannot allow naysayers to discourage us. We cannot allow those people with closed minds, or who are resistant to change, to devalue our work. Our nation’s children need us… need you!
I believe we are all called to a higher purpose than any one individual or any single organization. I recall one Saturday night when Rick Warren said, as a small part of his message, “We’re here on Earth sixty, seventy, eighty years, and then we’re gone.” It was a casual comment, but it struck me hard and deep at that moment how brief life really is. That was almost 23 years ago, and his comment still remains in my mind. It is easy to get caught up and bogged down in the “daily-ness” of our jobs. But I encourage you to take some time in these last few days of 2017 to remember that your work – each and every day – has tremendous value to the children and families that need you. And together – with the power of our collective passion and devotion to this work – we are creating, and will continue to create positive change in this nation. Let’s make this nation safe, secure, and loving for our kiddos and each other.
I count myself very fortunate – blessed – to be working alongside people like you. The team at ChildWise Institute offer ourselves to you in service of your work and the well-being of children and families everywhere. Please let us know how we can increase our collective impact with you in this coming year.
In the meantime, I wish you a warm, peaceful and beautiful holiday!
Todd Garrison
Executive Director – Curator
ChildWise Institute
406-513-1177
ChildWise Institute
Holocaust Survivor Families Yield New Insight into Trauma Across Generations
“In the 1980s, most of the research Bea Hollander-Goldfein was reading about how Holocaust survivors were faring psychologically focused entirely on the damage the Nazis had done.
** Click Link Below to Read Complete Article **
Drawing Connections, Building Empathy and Resilience in Traumatized Children
At Intermountain’s residential services, we have spent a lot of time this past month focusing on thankfulness, gratitude, and recognizing how richly we have been blessed. This has allowed me, as their chaplain, to encourage empathetic responses to the needs of others while also building a positive self-image as each child recognizes that they have something to give others. Woven into this narrative was a recognition of our interdependence and that it is not a sign of weakness to acknowledge that you need your “team”– those God has placed in your life, in your community, to support you and give you the opportunity to support.
Read More:
